Chain wrench



p 1965 c. c. MARTIN 3,205,735

CHAIN WRENCH Filed Dec. 19, 1963 INVENTOR Chester Cy Martin ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,205,735 CHAIN WRENCH Chester Cy Martin, 2519 Daisy Lane, Fort Worth, Tex. Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,798 1 (Ilaim. (Cl. 8168) This invention relates to a chain wrench, and it concerns more particularly an adaptation of a conventional chain wrench having a socket member incorporated therein for use with a detachable handle such as the handle of a socket wrench, ratchet wrench, or the like having a square lug on one side thereof adjacent one of its ends, with or without a detachable lateral extension of such a handle consisting of a straight bar, square in transverse section, engageable with said socket member and having an integral socket on one of its ends for engagement with the square lug on the wrench handle.

A chain wrench as ordinarily constructed consists essentially of a lever having a chain connected thereto near one of its ends, the chain having one of its ends permanently connected to a lug on one side of the lever and in use being passed around an object to be turned and hooked over a second lug on the opposite side of the lever.

Chain wrenches as described are widely used and are noted for their strength as well as their versatility, being suitable for use in turning threaded objects of any size and shape, including smooth surfaced cylindrical objects such as pipes and couplings as well as large nuts of polygonal or other shape.

A disadvantageous feature of chain wrenches as described is the elongated levers which serve as handles whereby such wrenches are turned, and which require a comparatively large amount of space for their satisfactory operation, so that chain wrenches as ordinarily constructed cannot be used in some locations where the available space is limited.

An object of this invention is to provide a modified chain wrench having all of the advantageous features of an ordinary chain wrench, but which at the same time requires a minimum of space and is operable in relatively inaccessible locations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a modified chain wrench as described which is characterized by its simplicity as well as its attractive appearance, and which may be fabricated inexpensively, and is eflicient in operation and durable in use.

The invention contemplates a chain wrench comprising a relatively short body operable as a lever, a chain having one of its ends pivotally connected to said body near one of its ends whereby said body is adapted to be passed around an object to be turned together with said chain while at the same time being adjustable pivotally relative to the adjoining link of said chain, said one of the ends of said body being serrated for frictional engagement with said object and said body having a lug on the end thereof opposite said one of its ends for engagement by a portion of said chain spaced apart from its connected end, and a socket member pivotally connected to said body intermediate its ends and extending laterally outwardly therefrom for engagement by a wrench handle or the like whereby said body and said chain are adapted to be tightened on said object upon rotating said socket member.

A distinguishing feature of the invention is that said body is characterized by its small dimensions relative to the dimensions of a single link of said chain, and has a length not substantially greater than the length of a single chain link and a thickness not substantially greater than the thickness of a single chain link.

Another distinctive feature of the invention is that the socket member is adjustable pivotally about an axis perpendicular to an axis about which the adjoining link of 3,205,735 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 said chain is adjustable pivotally relative to said body, as above described, and is adjustable pivotally in either direction substantially degrees from a position in which it extends laterally outwardly from said body, perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.

An advantageous feature of the chain wrench of this invention is that it does not tend to damage the surfaces of nuts or other objects to which it is applied.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a longitudinal view showing one side of a chain wrench embodying the invention in its extended position, in which the body and the chain thereof are arranged in a straight line, and showing the wrench in its initial position relative to a cylindrical object such as a pipe, shown in broken lines, preparatory to passing the chain thereof, together with its body, around said object whereby the wrench is secured to said object for use in turning it;

FIG. 2 is a view taken at right angles to the view shown in FIG. 1, showing the wrench as seen from the left side thereof as illustrated in FIG. 1, and showing said cylindrical object in transverse section with the wrench operatively connected thereto for use in turning it in a counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view taken at right angles to the view shown in FIG. 1, showing the wrench as seen from the right side thereof as illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1, showing a modified form of the invention in which a different type of chain is employed; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, on a reduced scale, showing the Wrench operatively connected to said cylindrical object, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and showing a detachable handle and a detachable lateral extension of said handle operatively engaged with the wrench preparatory to turning it.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a cylindrical object such as a pipe, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 and in transverse section in FIG. 2, adapted to be turned by use of the chain wrench of the invention as hereinafter described, which is indicated generally by the numeral 2.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the numeral 3 indicates generally a detachable handle suitable for use with the wrench 2, and the numeral 4 indicates generally a detachable lateral extension of the handle 3, both as hereinafter described.

The handle 3 and the extension 4 thereof are of well known construction, and neither the handle 3 nor the extension 4 is claimed per se.

The chain wrench 2 includes a relatively short body 5, as hereinafter described, which is operable as a lever. A chain 6, which as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5 is a sprocket type chain having open links, has one of its ends pivotally connected to the body 5 near one of its ends, one of the links of the chain 6 having end portions thereof received in a pair of slots 7 in said one of the ends of the body 5 and being pivotally connected to the body 5 by a pin 8 which traverses the slots 7 and is spaced inwardly from said one of the ends of the body 5.

The body 5 is characterized by its small dimensions relative to the dimensions of a single link of the chain 6, and has a length not substantially greater than the length of a single chain link and a thickness not substantially greater than the thickness of a single chain link.

In use the body 5 and the chain 6 are passed around an object to be turned, such as the cylindrical object 1, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, whereupon the body 5 is adjustable pivotally relative to the adjoining link of the chain 6 from a straight line position as shown in FIG. 1 to an obtuse angle as shown in FIG. 2. Said one of the ends of the body 5, which is serrated as at 9 for frictional engagement with an object to be turned, such as the cylindrical object 1, is turned radially inwardly, and the body has a lug 10 on the end thereof opposite said one of its ends for engagement by a portion of the chain 6 spaced apart from its connected end.

A socket member 11, which has a square socket 12 in one of its ends, has a bifurcated opposite end portion 13 which is pivotally connected to opposite sides of the body 5 intermediate its ends by a pin 14. The socket member 11 extends laterally outwardly from the body 5 for engagement by a wrench handle or the like, such as the handle 3 or its extension 4, whereby the body 5 and the chain 6 are adapted to be tightened on the object 1 upon rotating the socket member 11.

The socket member 11 is adjustable pivotally about an axis corresponding to the axis of the pin 14, which is perpendicular to the axis of the pin 8 about which the adjoining link of the chain 6 is adjustable relative to the body 5, and is adjustable pivotally in either direction substantially 90 degrees from a position in which it extends laterally outwardly from the body 5, perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. p

The detachable handle 3 shown in FIG. 5 has a square lug 15 on one side thereof adjacent one of its ends which as shown is engaged by an integral socket 16 on the adjacent end of the detachable lateral extension 4 thereof. The opposite end of the extension 4, which is square in transverse section, is received in the socket 12 of the socket member 11.

In an alternative arrangement the lug 15 on the handle 3 is engageable directly with the socket 12 of the socket member 11.

In accordance with well known practice the handle 3 may, if desired, have a pawl and ratchet connection (not shown) with the lug 15 thereon.

Asshown in FIG. 4, a chain 17, which corresponds to the chain 6 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 3, and 5, is of a type characterized by its closed links, the rivets of which extend outwardly beyond opposite sides thereof, which is commonly employed in the fabrications of chain wrenches.

One of the links of the chain 17 has end portions thereof received in a single slot 18, which corresponds to the pair of slots 7 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, said end portions of said last mentioned link being pivotally connected to the body 5 by a pin 19 which corresponds to the pin 8 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5. A pair of lugs 20, which correspond to the single lug .10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, are engageable with a portion of the chain 17 spaced apart from its connected end.

The invention may be modified in various Ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

A chain wrench comprising a relatively short body operable as a lever, a chain having one of its ends pivotally connected to said body near one of its ends whereby said body is adapted to be passed around an object to be turned together with said chain while at, the same time being adjustable pivotally relative to the adjoining link of said chain, said body being characterized by its small dimensions relative to the dimensions of a single link of said chain, and having a length not substantially greater than the length of a single chain link and a thickness not substantially greater than the thickness of a single chain link, said one of the ends of said body being serrated for frictional engagement with said object and said body having a lug on the end thereof opposite said one of its ends for engagement by a portion of said chain spaced apart from itsconnected end, and a socket member pivotally connected to said body intermediate its ends and extending laterally outwardly therefrom for engagement by a wrench handle or the like whereby said body and said chain are adapted to be tightened on said object upon rotating said socket member, the socket member being adjustable pivotally about an axis per pendicular to an axis about which the adjoining link of said chain is adjustable pivotally relative to said body, and being adjustable pivotally in either direction substantially degrees from a position in which it extends laterally outwardly from said body, perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,730 7/14 Hamblin 81-68 1,775,402 9/30 Mandl.

2,852,253 3/50 Brenner 81-68 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. JAMES L. JONES, IR., Examiner. 

